China vs Lesotho: Military spending as a share of GDP
China
1.7%
in 2025
Lesotho
1.6%
in 2025
China rank
87th
Lesotho rank
90th
Military spending as a share of GDP over time
- China
- Lesotho
How they compare
China currently reports 1.7% against 1.6% in Lesotho, a difference of 0.1%.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times Lesotho's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 37 shared years of data; in 1989 it was Lesotho ahead.
China ranks 87th and Lesotho ranks 90th of 166 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and Lesotho in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Lesotho | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.4% | 4.3% | 1.9% | Lesotho |
| 1990s | 1.9% | 3.0% | 1.0% | Lesotho |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 2.4% | 0.5% | Lesotho |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 2.2% | 0.5% | Lesotho |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 0.0% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending as a share of gdp, China or Lesotho?
- China, at 1.7% against 1.6% in Lesotho as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending as a share of gdp between China and Lesotho?
- 0.1%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Lesotho?
- 37 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2025.
- How do China and Lesotho rank globally for military spending as a share of gdp?
- China ranks 87th and Lesotho ranks 90th of 166 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.